The beginning of May saw my third trip to Spain inside the first five months of the year and on this occasion the plan was very different to previous. Both mine and my Dad’s birthdays are in May and we like to have a trip away together, which usually involves a combination of travelling and football (see my previous posts on Scandinavia and Iceland), but since he was already in southern Spain we figured it’d be easier to stay in the country and choose an appropriate destination to have a weekend away.
After exploring several possible destinations, we opted for the historic city of Cadiz on the South-West coast, which was a relatively easy trip to plan as we could travel by bus and there were plenty of Hostals (lodging houses) available, the only part left to plan was the possibility for us to watch any football whilst we would be there, but I’ll return to that later…
The coach journey was a long but straightforward one and we were soon arriving into the city which is effectively made up of two parts, these being the ‘older’ northern and ‘newer’ southern sections, with the old city walls being the dividing point. It’s a very intriguing place, especially as geographically Cadiz is very long and narrow, pointing out into the Atlantic Ocean. On our first day we kept to a simple plan and explored the surrounding areas around our centrally located accommodation, as well as going for a walk along the coast back towards the mainland, spending some time at the beach in the process. After making the return journey via the main shopping streets we had some food and rested, before going back out in the evening to experience the nightlife.
Sunday was upon us and in the morning we wondered around the North-West edges of Cadiz as well as exploring more of the side streets and squares in the old town, which were busy with a bustling market. We then headed to the train station to make the forty-five minute long journey to spend the remainder of the day in the nearby Jerez de la Frontera. Arriving around mid afternoon, we had an initial walk around the centre, heading to the cathedral, palace and Alcazar in the city famous for producing sherry.
After having a meal and drink it was time to head to our evening’s entertainment, in the form of a Tercera Division (4th tier) game between Xerez (Spanish spelling) Deportivo and UD Los Barrios (located near Algeciras) at the Estadio Municipal de Chapin.
The game was quite disappointing and was destined to finish 0-0, neither team really produced any chances and I’d say it was the poorest quality game I’ve seen in Spain. I was hoping for much more considering both of these teams were in the hunt for a play-off place, in fairness Los Barrios had a game-plan and stuck to it throughout, which frustrated Xerez greatly. The best thing about this game was the ground it was being played at, which has got to be one of the biggest for this level in Spain. It was also good to see inexpensive admission prices which were repaid by plenty of vocal supporters.
There really isn’t much to say about the game other than that!
Monday arrived and as it was our final full day in Cádiz we wanted to make the most of it. This began with a walk around the fortifications of the city including an island out off the coast. We then headed to the harbour where plenty of cruise ships were docked and spent some time around the lovely parks dotted around the centre.
Typically a lot of businesses, museums, shops etc are closed on Mondays in Spain which we didn’t factor in, meaning that we ended up having plenty more time we than previously anticipated. After having lunch and a lovely hot chocolate, we had the chance to relax and make the hour long walk (via the beach) to our evening’s entertainment.
Today was Andalusian derby day, in the form of Cádiz CF vs Málaga CF in the Segunda Division (2nd tier). Our plans for the weekend had centred around this game, as I knew we’d be able to combine it with another match elsewhere and be able to keep our options open with transport from my parent’s home and our accommodation in Cádiz.
What we didn’t expect was for the game to be moved at quite late notice (around 2 weeks beforehand) to Monday at 9pm, I’d been anticipating it would be on the Saturday evening, but since we were flexible we made it work. We’d still be able to watch the game, spend a night longer in our hotel then get the first bus back to Marbella at 7am the following day in order to make my flight home.
We had booked our tickets for the game at the club on the day we arrived, which was probably a good job as there was quite a limited selection left and only at a higher price than we’d wanted. It wasn’t an issue though as it was due to be an important game for both clubs, not just some rivalry between them but both teams were on the hunt for play-off spots. This was built up to be an important game, hence it being moved for TV.
The Estadio Ramon De Carranza is quite odd, space is at a premium in Cádiz due to its geography so on the exterior of the ground you’ll find offices, a bike shop, gym, supermarket and even an underground car park. It’s great for matchdays though as you can buy very cheap local beers at the supermarket and have your pre-match drinks stood outside the ground. The ground’s four stands are all similar, being two-tiered all-seaters with the clubs colours of yellow and blue running down in stripes. Only the main stand has got cover and from there you can see out to the harbour if it’s a clear day.
The crowd started to gather in the bars and restaurants surrounding the ground quite early before the game. We made our way towards the main stand and got hold of a free programme (the only one I’ve got from Spain to date), then ascended towards our seats. Spanish grounds are known for being steep but still feeling like your close to the pitch and this was certainly one of them. Once we reached our seats we realised how much we enjoyed the view we had, it certainly makes you feel like you’re “penned-in” and even though we were high up, we still had a good perspective of the action.
The game itself was a good affair, both teams largely cancelled each other out as they played similar formations and tactically had direct counters to both team’s strengths. Set pieces were the crucial aspect to winning the game and it would transpire that the game’s only two goals would come from them.
In the 7th minute a poorly executed corner routine from the home side left Málaga with a fantastic opportunity to counter attack, resulting in a three-on-two which they worked well for N’Diaye to finish. Cádiz tried to hit back quickly and within fifteen minutes they were rewarded when Aketxe curled in a free-kick in the 23rd minute. The remainder of the first half ebbed and flowed, but the score stayed tied at one apiece. The second half wasn’t as memorable, there weren’t many clear cut chances for either side, it felt like Cádiz came out on top but missed that cutting edge to get them a winning goal.
A draw actually suited both teams under the circumstances in their quests for the play-offs and it was an enjoyable visit overall, I really like the modern and stylish ground with its great sight-lines and we witnessed a good, typically Spanish, game of football to match. Once the game had finished we caught the train (there’s a station adjacent to the ground) back to the city’s main station and returned to our hotel at about midnight.
After a refreshing nights sleep we boarded our coach and left Cádiz at 7am the next morning, making it back to Marbella (via a stop-off and much needed coffee in Algeciras) to make my connecting bus in reasonable time for the flight home from Málaga.
Overall it’d been a very interesting long weekend away, we’d done plenty of walking and exploring, getting a sense of Cádiz’s history and culture along with a pleasant afternoon and evening spent in Jerez. We’d seen two more football matches at new grounds, both grounds were large and impressive even if the game at Jerez was disappointing, but it’s great to make these new experiences on our travels.
This wouldn’t be the last time that I’d head out to Spain before the 2018/19 season came to a close, as I had wanted an early summer holiday after my birthday in late May and eyed up the chance to visit Málaga CF. I’d have the chance to combine this with a number of other adventures, but more of that to come in another blog…
To be continued!
Chris Sharp
The Travelling Therapist 
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